The Map & Chart Makers

Lieutenant (later Admiral) John Knight

John Knight
was an extraordinary naval officer who saw a great deal of action in his time
in service. He had worked his way up through the ranks from being a Captain’s
servant and an ordinary seaman up to the rank of Admiral. He was knighted for his
services against the French navy in 1815.

During the
French and Indian war (also known as the Seven Years War) which took place
between 1756 and 1763, Knight saw action against the French in Europe. After
the Treaty of Paris of 1763 which saw an end to the conflict, Knight was
engaged upon surveying the North American coastline from 1765 as a midshipman
on HMS Romney, the Commander in Chief’s flag ship.In 1770 Knight was promoted Lieutenant and given control of
his own survey vessel HMS Diligent
that had been procured to assist J. F. W. Des Barres in his coastal
survey.Their partnership was to
prove extremely fruitful and efficient over the next few years.

Following
the first naval battle of the war at Mechias in June 1775 Knight, still in
command of Diligent, unwittingly called in to the harbour of that town to
replenish supplies the following month. The battle had seen local rebels, in
support of the recent uprising at Lexington and Concord and as a mark of anti
British feeling, seized the schooner British schooner Margaretta, killing several of its crew.At the time Knight arrived the following month feelings were
still running high and the rebels immediately seized the Diligent along with the accompanying shallop Tatamagouche and captured their crews.

Herein
followed one of the most remarkable incidents of the entire war.Having been captured, Knight and his
fellow Lieutenant Thomas Spry had all of their possessions confiscated, which
included most of Des Barres’ manuscript charts, covering the area from New
England up to Nova Scotia, which were being worked upon by Knight.This collection of data was invaluable
to either side but its importance was clearly lost on the inhabitants of
Mechias for the charts were returned to Knight at the start of his confinement and
he promptly dispatched them back to the British.In a letter from John Lyon, one of Knight’s captors on the
19th Jan 1776 to James Otis Jnr, a member of
the Massachusetts Provincial Assembly, the mistake is duly noted:

‘Sir,

I
think it my Duty to remind you, as you have doubtly been informed of what we
have [done that w]e generously, perhaps too generously, gave the officers taken
in the schooner Diligent, all of their pr[ivate pr]operty, & among other
things all the plans of this continent, in their possession, which oversight we
greatly regret & for which we can make no apology but our distress &
confusion at that time, which would not admit of our attending to this matter
as its vast importance required.Lieut [John] Knights goods are all sent away Lieut [Thomas] Spry’s only
remain in our possession.’

Knight was
held under ‘house arrest’ in the ‘district of the town of Northampton &
five miles round for your place of Confinement’ (Gates to Knight, 24th
May 1776).He was later moved to
Cambridge and finally exchanged back to the British at the end of 1776 after
more than a year of incarceration.

On the 10th
Jan 1775 Knight had written to General George Washington himself to plead for
his release, which letter provides something of an insight in to his character:

‘Sir,

Many
reasons as well as the unexpected lengthening time of my Captivity induces me
to take liberty of addressing you on a Subject the propriety of which I must
leave to your judgement.Freedom
from being a Prisoner, is the ultimate of my request, and as this great
indulgence I conceive lyes entirely with yr Excellency.I must beg your attention one moment –
to my reasons – for this presumption. – I have been employed in America since
the year 1763 on the Survey of the Sea Coasts, and since 1770 until the hour of
my Captivity commanded a King’s Vessel on that Service only, during all which
time I can declare I never did a single injury to an American, or even ever
detain’d one of their Vessels (even in Illicit Trade) tho’ often in my power;
on the contrary I dare believe there are several will do me the Justice to
acknowledge having received assistance from me when in distress.The work I was then engaged on, was of a
publick Nature, and intended for the Advantage of all, but as this unhappy
dispute must necessary[i]ly put a Stop to that Service, there is not the least
probability of my being employed (Should your goodness indulge me with my
Liberty) there my being so many Young Gentlemen with the Adml waiting for
promotion, and many more seeking Employment, which to a Man in my Situation,
having family in America, would admit of no invitation. – I should trespass on
your patience to relate the particulars of my being made Prisoner at Machias,
which I am confident would appear most favourable for me, and no doubt
influence you sir in a great measure to acquiesce with my entreaty. – If
Captain Stephen Smith the principle person of that place was near your
Excellency he [sic you] would Gain positive inform, that the proceedings with
me there & the Surgeon Mr McFadjen belonging to the Diligent, was
altogether contrary to every practice in War.

I
beg leave to Submit these facts to you Excelcys consideration and am with
respect.Your Excellency’s
[&c.]

John
Knight

Having finally
been released he faced the ritual of a court-martial trial for the loss of the
Diligent on Christmas day 1776.Thereafter he was sent to join Lord Richard Howe’s squadron down in New
York where after February 177 he was employed in
harassing and attacking American and French vessels up and down the North
American coastline as Commander of the 12 gun Haerlem. In 1778 he was employed
once again on surveying tasks and he charted and sounded New York harbor and
Long Island Sound out as far as Nantucket.His expertise and knowledge of those waters was employed by
Howe aboard his flagship to thwart the French attack on Rhode Island and
Newport.He was also He was
promoted to Captain in 1781.

After the
War of Independence had ended Knight was again in action against the French
navy but this time that of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1800 he was set the task of surveying
the entrance to the French naval base at Brest, which caused Admiral Sir John Jervis,
Earl St. Vincent to pronounce him “to be the most accurate [surveyor] in His
Majesty’s service”.He served on
the Victory (prior to Nelson) and was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1801. After
the Battle of Trafalgar, Knight was promoted once again, this time to the rank
of Vice-Admiral. His final promotion – to the rank of Admiral came on the 4th
December 1813.

The career
of Admiral John Knight spanned the major conflicts of the 18th and early 19th
centuries. His story and indeed his contribution as a sailor and a surveyor are
almost unrivaled.

Associated
Charts and Maps: A101, A113, A115,
A203, A205.

Ref: A113

The coast of New England from Passamaquody Bay to Rhode Island Harbour